September 2013 Chemo Group

aluminum is rumored to be breast cancer culprit. Who knows really. 

Wow, so here is a page I just came across. It explains that there may be a detox period when switching to natural deodorant so that may be what I am going through. Very interesting stuff as well as some ingredients to avoid (not just in deodorant) and why. Good info to know

http://www.bubbleandbee.com/deodorantdetox.html

Sorry I am dominating the board tonight XD

The Taxol/Herception is weekly for 12 weeks (the A&C was dose dense) & then the herceptin will be weekly for 9 more months. 

So many options, so many different kinds of cancer, they really individualize it now.

Audra, dig deep for round 3.  I know this AC works because it has shrunk my tumor like crazy.....as hard as AC is, it is worth it.

Lighthouse, my brother was a favorite uncle to all the nieces and nephews too because he loved to play with them.  Isn't it fun to watch that in action?

KJ....yeah, we will KCA in 2014!!  I had a low-key Christmas this year too.  

Alfranco, I got neuropathy with Taxol in my feet and hands, but it went away about 4 weeks after I finished it.  Yours might too.  It is kind of scary to feel it.  Sometimes they change the dosage if it gets too bad.

Peacock...I hope things are going okay with you.  I'm glad you made it through your chemo on schedule before this happened.  My husband didn't get a flu shot this year when I did even though he knew I would be having chemo.  It kind of irked me, but there is nothing I could do about it.  I bet your husband feels really bad about giving you the plague.  Both our husbands are keepers....no doubt about it....plague or no plague.

MommaStewart, I can so relate to you feeling really down at times.  I think we probably all can.  I would have a steroid crash every single time about 3 days after my 12 weekly taxol treatments.  Those crashes would send me into the descents of  hades.  It took weeks for me to finally realize how much of it was chemically induced.  I finally asked for some help from my doc and I have Ativan to take the minute I start feeling that horrible sinking feeling.  Like you, I also didn't have a lot of close friends before this all started.  I realized that I had to work on developing friendships.  I'm still not very good at it, I tend to be a loner, but I do try to make the effort to reach out to people.  We had just moved to a new state a month before I got diagnosed, so I literally knew no one close by.  I think cancer has forced me to come out of my shell and ask for help more.  As I write this to you, I realize I need to pick up that ten thousand pound phone and make some calls today.  Thanks for the link about the deodorant.  I threw out all my regular deodorant shortly after getting diagnosed.  I tried one of those natural crystal ones, but it just isn't cutting it for me.  I am embarrased when I go to the MO and she does the breast exam each visit.  I will check out the link and see if I can find something that actually works.  I'm glad you found taking the Claritin twice a day worked for you.  My MO told me to do that right off the bat, and it has really worked for me.  I start the day before my Neulasta shot and do it for a week.  The second week, I take it once a day.  It turns out the Claritin has really helped with a long -term throat/hoarseness issue I had.  I guess I had a lot of post nasal drip that was disturbing my vocal cords.  Once I started the Claritin, that all went away!  Duh!  I'm glad your son's nurses are helping so much.

Mercedes, you and I are on the same basic treatment plan except I did the 12 taxol infusions first, and now I'm on AC.  I have my next AC New Years Eve.    I hope you are finding the taxol easier than AC.  I think that by doing it weekly, there are a lot fewer SE's, but I did get really tired toward the end.  Each week, it would take me a little longer to bounce back.  Have you been able to feel your tumor shrink?  Mine shrunk the first 6 weeks of taxol by about half, then it just sat there for the next 6 weeks.  Now the AC is making it shrink again like crazy.  I can still feel it, but just barely.  I'm hoping the last two AC infusions really kick it's butt!  I was 60 when I was diagnosed too.  Nice way to remember being 60!

70Charger...good luck with the Rads!

VintageGal, I had my second UTI while on chemo about a week ago.  I hadn't had one in years until chemo.  It lowers our resistance.  I know that sex was the culprit in both episodes and I think it was a new organic lube that I had gotten to try to not expose myself to so many chemicals.  I put that lube away after the first episode, but hubby pulled it out and used it (without me realizing what he was doing) the second time, and sure enough...24 hours later I had a UTI again.  I threw that lube in the trash after that!  Then hubby pulls it out!  All I know is that lube is not going inside of me anymore!!!  TMI?   Anyway, those UTI's are painful.  I got some pain medication (Piridium) with the first one, and the minute I felt the second one coming on, I took that.  I think it's also scary getting a UTI while on chemo because you never know if it's going to explode into something more serious with our low WBC.  Fortunately, it hasn't been a problem.  Some people suggest using condoms, I'm not sure that would make any difference in my case.  I just think it was somehow related to that darn lube.  When we haven't used that  lube, things have been okay.

My big news right now is that this second round of AC  really, really made my tumor shrink!!!! Yes! Yes! Yes!  I can still feel it, but just barely.  If I didn't know where to feel for it and what it is, I would just think it was  normal fat my breast.  As bad as the AC knocks me out for a week after each infusion, I say "BRING IT ON!!!"  I love what it's doing to what's left of my tumor!!  A would pCR really increase my chances of survival with triple negative BC.  

When I woke up this morning, I noticed all the little white fuzzy hairs on my face are gone....AC at work.  I face feels really smooth!  Every day there is less and less hair.  I don't care!  As long as this AC is destroying those cancer cells, it can do anything it wants to my hair!  Hair grows back!

Happy Friday, Sistas!!

Whew, Couple days of crazy work hours, and I have a lot to catch up on; I will probably miss some things in my comments; sorry!

Vintagegal, Love the wig, if this was not a chemo forum, I would have not looked twice...it looks completely narutsl and beautiful.

Mamastewart, I am sorry your family is behaving the way they are.  You are right though; we cannot contol other people's actions.  We can only control our own.  When you are feeling better, hopefully you can get out and about and involved in some things as time allows, to surround yourself with some new people.   And congrats on that final big chemo.

Peacockgirl, Love the horse picture.  that is so awesome!  I hope your blood levels are good and that you are able to kick the bug you've got.  This is a tough time of the year for illnesses.

Alfranco, hope the neuropathy clears...oh...and there are no wimps here.  We are all strong.

LHL, I hope your appointment went well.

Audra, Wishing you minimal SEs in the BGC today.

mamaStewart, sorry about the deodorant!  One person's treat is another's poison.  May it work out for you!

Kbee-

What's it like being 'back to normal'...are you still tired/weak or just when you do too much or already feeling great!!????

Tell us!!!  Did you get all scans again at the end??  when is your expander to implant surgery??

Re: aluminum in antiperspirant. Studies have disproven any link to cancer, but aluminum may interfere with radiation treatment & is discouraged. Actually, any kind of cream or lotion is not supposed to be used in the whole area 3 hours before rads (after is ok). So I switched from a 'normal' antiperspirant/deodorant to an aluminum-free deodorant, Toms of Maine, for rads. I'll tell ya, it sucks at first! There's an adjustment period of a week or two for your body, & I was kind of stinky. It's better now, but you have to remember that deodorant-only means you will sweat & be damp. Aluminum tends to be the key to preventing dampness. So, um, be careful about white shirts

Wow! And it works that fast? 

This is the very first UTI I have ever had (& I am 60) The immediate need to urinate every 10 minutes with painful burning was awful. I am worried now I will have another, especially since I have to wear a pessary which brings a greater risk to infection.

I had a UTI the summer before last. I actually think I passed a stone as I didn't have any E. coli in my urine and I was actually bleeding, but either way, it was horrid! There is some pills OTC that help tremendously with the pain. I forget what the name brand is called but the off brand I got was just called "urine pain relief". They did take the pain away immediately but they turn your urine orange. 

I spent the morning on the couch again. My stomach was not happy. I am feeling better now. I don't know if it is another stomach bug, chemo-related, or something to do with this enlarged spleen. I just hope it goes away. I have to keep telling myself that it has only been nine days since my last chemo. It seems like months! I guess I need to give myself some time to recooperate and recover. I just want to get my house cleaned!!!! It is so very very gross and I can't stand it. 

lots to catch up on!  Christmas Day I slept a lot, good thing I was prepared for that! I love all of the pictures. Love the horse! I have been using Tom's Lavender as far as deodorant goes.

I feel like I am behind all of you as far as survivor plans and knowing my survival rates? No one has talked to me about how to follow-up afterwards or how to take care of myself afterwards. I guess that will come? Or I will find it. Although I have purposely avoided any survival statistics - I figure I'm just going to be in the winning percent! Plus to get five and 10 year survival rates, they are using data from old treatment plans. So I don't want to look. Technically I am triple negative also, my ER was 1% positive.  I am 42 and plan to live another 42 years at least!

Here are the results of my AC experiment. The top is on the first day of my AC after 12 weeks of Taxol. The bottom is day 22 of AC. Almost nothing left. I have also lost one side bottom eyelashes. Like I said, not sure what it does for survival rates, but I am also hoping for CPR. I guess the surgery pathology will tell us that! I am so ready to be a normal person again. I feel so tired and just not myself. My face skin feels rubbery so dry and wrinkly. My eyes water constantly and my nose drips constantly. I got groceries today and little old lady asked me if I was okay. I'm sure she thought I was crying. Hang in there everyone...this too shall pass. 

Knightzoo - I'm with you on wanting to feel normal.  I'm 3 weeks PFC and still bald, constantly watery eyes and runny nose.  My eyelashes and 95% of eyebrows are gone.  Ugh.  

As for the January surgery board - I'm on it and it's pretty quiet so far.  :-)    I read a little bit of the December one so I could sort of get a feel for what people are posting, but then I lost interest.  There are so many variables.... which surgery people are having, pre-chemo or post-chemo, recon or no, etc.... my best friend had a bilateral mx and three days later was at her daughter's open house at school.  The biggest complaint people have, I think, is the stupid drains.  I really have stopped reading about surgery stories because I'm already freaked enough.  My surgery is one week from today and I'm still in denial that it's actually happening.  LOL

I'm really in awe of you ladies talking about sex!!  Hubby and I have had sex maybe 2 or 3 times since August when I was diagnosed.  I want to put forth the effort during this last week since this time next week I won't have breasts anymore... but ugh.  I'm so tired, so bloated, feel so unattractive, etc.  

Thanks ladies. I probably won't feel normal until maybe April? I have surgery 2 weeks after last chemo then 5 weeks of rads. It seems like a long way off, but so did 20 weeks of chemo and I've made it 16! non watery eyes and hair stubble by early March sounds like a nice start

right on kj.  ned-free new year to all the sisters!

AMEN, Lighthouselady!! 

I'm not saying that perspective is always easy... sometimes I know I have to "fake it 'til I make it".  But just in case I don't make it as long as I want to, I will leave a legacy for my children than I LOVED AND LIVED!!